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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — a video
  6. club — for golf
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rash — a series
  20. club — for dancing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — to push
  24. rash — hasty

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