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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — to eat
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fine — all right

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