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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 120 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: file · pop · dip · net · bank · row · rock · chip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. row — a line
  9. pop — soda
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. file — a line of people
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. file — a tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to sink

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