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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — to come down
  14. court — for sport
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — of a river

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