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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — an aim
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bank — of a river
  8. court — for sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. court — of a king
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. court — of law
  17. clip — a video
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — thin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — for paper
  24. foot — a measure

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