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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: wound · net · wake · chip · fine · bank · craft · mate

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — after costs
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — in sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — boats
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. net — for catching
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — a friend

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