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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. club — a group
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spring — of water
  14. pass — a permit
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — a match

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