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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: chip · band · object · prune · bay · clip · track · bank

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — to eat
  6. clip — for paper
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. clip — to cut
  12. band — a ring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a music group
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. clip — a video
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — to protest
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — the fruit

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