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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. march — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. march — the month
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — soda
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — thin
  24. chip — for betting

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