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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · bat · can · present · bass · chip · cue · mark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the fish
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chip — for betting

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