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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: toast · bound · bank · chip · pitch · object · row · net

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — for catching
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — a thing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitch — completely
  16. row — a line
  17. object — to protest
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — in sport

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