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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · track · chip · bank · jam · straw · hand · patient

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. track — a song
  5. bank — of a river
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — to eat
  19. track — to keep track
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. content — the amount
  24. hand — help

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