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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — help
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — of water
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — electric
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — in cards
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — part of the body

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