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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitch — completely
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hand — help
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — for betting
  23. game — a match
  24. chip — to eat

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