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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. court — of law
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chip — to eat

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