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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: chip · rash · pitcher · bank · object · ground · file · band

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ground — a position
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — to protest
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rash — hasty
  18. file — a document
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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