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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. drill — army training
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — for money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. degree — from a university
  17. drill — a practice
  18. degree — temperature
  19. march — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — to eat
  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