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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: pit · shower · can · calf · wake · chip · foot · bank

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chip — for betting
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. shower — rain
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — in a computer

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