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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — finally
  7. club — for dancing
  8. last — final
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. club — a group
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for golf
  21. march — music
  22. last — to go on
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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