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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 120 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — of a river
  8. capital — a city
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chip — to eat
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. perch — the fish

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