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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: scale · band · bank · bore · wake · cue · chip · stick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. band — a ring
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bank — for money

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