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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — in sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chest — a box
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bound — tied together

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