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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. present — a gift
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — to play on
  18. present — there
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — music

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