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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chest — a box
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chest — of your body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in biology

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