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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — from a university
  13. track — a song
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — a path
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mug — a cup

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