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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. object — to protest
  12. mate — a friend
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — to breed
  24. game — wild animals

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