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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: chip · racket · bat · staff · bank · spring · key · can

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. staff — a stick
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — a coil
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. spring — the season
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. key — in music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — for tennis

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