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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bank — of a river
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — in cards
  18. last — finally
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  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