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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — thin
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — shares
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — for dancing
  11. last — final
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. club — for golf
  19. stock — goods
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — in a computer

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