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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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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: trunk · fork · firm · bank · last · ruler · degree · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. last — final
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. firm — steady
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — an amount
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chip — to eat
  21. firm — a company
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — finally

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