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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — help
  23. march — music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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