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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: track · tube · game · chip · plane · cabinet · bank · last

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — a song
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tube — the underground
  5. game — a match
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a path
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bank — of a river

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