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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. field — a subject
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — for sport
  6. content — happy
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mug — to rob
  12. present — a gift
  13. field — farmland
  14. content — the amount
  15. mug — a face
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. present — there
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — to eat

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