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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: bowl · chip · bank · spell · prune · tube · date · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chip — to eat
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. object — to protest
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — magic
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — the underground
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chip — for betting

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