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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chip — for betting
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — to roll

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