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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: ball · chip · arm · racket · date · object · bank · capital

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ball — a dance
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. capital — a city
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — a thing
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. capital — money
  19. object — an aim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — to protest

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