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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — a permit
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pit — in a race
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — of law

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