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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: present · chip · wake · ground · cue · pound · bank · mine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — to eat
  20. present — the time now
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bank — for money
  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