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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of a king
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. court — for sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chip — to eat
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — of law

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