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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. last — finally
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. charge — a price
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — for money
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chip — for betting

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