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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — a path
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — for paper
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — a song
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cap — a hat
  19. track — to keep track
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. clip — to cut
  22. roll — a list
  23. clip — a video
  24. cell — a phone

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