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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. band — a ring
  8. perch — the fish
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. sharp — clever
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fork — in a road
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a rubber band

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