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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: chip · ruler · present · file · pit · wind · toast · bank

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a line of people
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bank — of a river
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a document
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. file — a tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. present — there
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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