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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. march — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — to come down
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — a country
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — for money
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — ground
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — to eat
  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