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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chip — to eat
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — shares
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — to go away

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