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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — to drill
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to tire
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — wild animals

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