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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — a thing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bank — of a river
  8. roll — a list
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pit — in a race
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — in a computer

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