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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. land — to come down
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — for betting
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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