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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — decided
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — to drill
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kid — to tease
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kid — child
  24. chip — to eat

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