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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. land — a country
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. game — a match
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. date — the fruit
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — a thing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. object — to protest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. land — to come down
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — wild animals
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — of a river
  24. date — on the calendar

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