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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: band · suit · bank · saw · degree · squash · hide · chip

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — of a river
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — for betting
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bank — for money
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. squash — to crush
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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