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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bank — of a river
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bound — tied together
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — certain
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. game — a match
  23. clip — to cut
  24. game — wild animals

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