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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — a country
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bank — of a river
  11. perch — the fish
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — to paddle
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. land — ground
  21. row — a line
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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