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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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 — for money
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. ball — a dance
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — from a university
  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