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

Word bank: sharp · bank · coach · chair · fork · foot · chip · stick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — a leader
  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