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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — clothes
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — a division
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fall — the season
  21. race — humankind
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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