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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fall — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. safe — out of danger

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