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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: mine · rock · stand · net · object · snap · chip · bank

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. net — for catching
  7. chip — for betting
  8. object — to protest
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — a stone
  13. object — an aim
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to click
  24. net — after costs

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