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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. last — to go on
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — finally
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. last — final

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