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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: chip · saw · swing · can · arm · mine · bank · scale

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mine — for digging
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. swing — to play on
  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