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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. branch — a division
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. shower — rain
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — money
  12. object — an aim
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. capital — a city
  16. object — to protest
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. march — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — a thing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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