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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — to eat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. track — a path
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — for a bird

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