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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: drill · chip · club · racket · bank · land · object · ground

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — of a river
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — a thing
  6. land — a country
  7. object — an aim
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — for money
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — to come down
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — a loud noise

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