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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: bank · calf · fine · pass · date · land · chip · sharp

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pass — a permit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — all right
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — to come down
  15. bank — of a river
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — in a computer

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