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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. row — a line
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — a country
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. shower — rain
  10. land — to come down
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. charge — in control
  20. chip — for betting
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — ground
  23. row — to paddle
  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