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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — a break
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — to eat
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — for betting
  24. branch — of a bank

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