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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: club · mine · season · cue · bank · dip · chip · pound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — a signal
  10. club — a group
  11. season — of the year
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. club — for golf
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — a hint

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