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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 116 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: calf · chip · bank · bear · content · wake · key · game

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. content — happy
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. game — a match
  11. key — the most important part
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — to eat
  14. content — the amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — a trail
  20. game — wild animals
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bear — the animal

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