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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — for betting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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