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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — to eat
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. field — for sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ground — a position
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — part of the body

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