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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. row — a line
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. court — of a king
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pit — in a race

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