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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — employees

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