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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · rule · spell · racket · key · bank · chip · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. rule — a law
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. chip — for betting
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — in music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — letters
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — a short time
  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