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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: bowl · club · calf · track · land · chip · bank · pass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. land — to come down
  5. club — for golf
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — ground
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. land — a country
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — a song
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. club — a group
  24. calf — a young animal

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