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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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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 · roll · pound · fine · bank · mate · tear · suit

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. roll — a cake
  3. suit — to fit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — for betting
  12. roll — a list
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chip — in a computer

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