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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: date · land · pop · chip · board · bank · saw · lie

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — a country
  8. lie — to recline
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pop — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — ground
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pop — to visit
  24. date — on the calendar

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