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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 · fan · pop · bank · roll · bass · racket · shower

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — a list
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pop — soda
  24. bass — low music

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