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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — a break
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — to roll

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