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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — an aim
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — the season
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spring — of water
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. object — to protest
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — in cards

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