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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. season — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — of the year
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. track — a path
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. charge — electricity
  19. drill — a practice
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. track — a song
  22. drill — army training
  23. wind — moving air
  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