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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 · fan · stick · track · kid · nail · bank · staff

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — employees
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — in a computer

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