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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 120 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: rest · chair · spring · bank · march · bowl · chip · cabinet

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. march — the month
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rest — a break
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — the season
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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