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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — a thing
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a tree

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