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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bound — certain
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bound — obliged
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rule — government
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chip — to eat
  24. staff — employees

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