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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: bound · bank · swing · cap · wake · sharp · chip · mouse

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — of a river
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — obliged
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wake — a trail
  17. swing — music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — certain
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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