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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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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: cabinet · chip · stick · prune · bank · key · content · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chip — for betting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — to eat
  14. content — the amount
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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