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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stock — goods
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — in football
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chip — for betting

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