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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tube — a container
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — a leader
  11. firm — steady
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. club — for golf
  16. deal — to handle
  17. squash — the sport
  18. club — a group
  19. game — a match
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. firm — decided
  24. game — a kind of play

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