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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pass — a permit
  24. prune — to trim

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