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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. land — a country
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fine — all right
  14. land — ground
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — to come down
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pop — 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