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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 120 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: cabinet · kick · tear · chip · game · pitcher · bank · sharp

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — wild animals
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — to eat
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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