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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. net — after costs
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — tied together
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bass — low music
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — for catching
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — obliged
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  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