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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — a division
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mine — for digging

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