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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · stick · mouse · bank · fan · pitcher · cabinet · tube

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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