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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 · dip · last · bank · court · prune · kick · staff

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kick — in football
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — for betting
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. court — of law
  15. last — final
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. last — to go on
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. last — finally
  24. bank — of a river

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