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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: present · bank · rash · mouse · chip · stick · date · mate

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. present — there
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. present — the time now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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