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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · bank · bass · key · date · mark · prune

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. game — a match
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mark — a grade
  24. date — the fruit

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