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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitch — completely
  17. march — the month
  18. net — for catching
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — in sport
  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