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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — a video
  15. court — for sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of law
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bore — to tire
  23. court — of a king
  24. pound — for dogs

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