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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: saw · dip · bank · club · key · pop · chip · wave

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — soda
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pop — music
  24. club — for dancing

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