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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — all right
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — of a river
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fine — high quality
  21. shower — to wash
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — to breed

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