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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. toast — bread
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — of a river
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bark — to shout
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of a king
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com