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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — to come down
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — to eat
  19. present — a gift
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wake — a trail
  23. present — there
  24. bank — for money

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