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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — help
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a face
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — to rob
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — a cup
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — there
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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