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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chip — to eat
  16. march — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — humankind
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. march — the month

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