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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 116 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 · charge · bank · clip · mouse · root · can · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. charge — a price
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. root — the cause
  22. bank — of a river
  23. clip — a video
  24. root — of a plant

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