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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: net · rock · foot · dip · chip · cabinet · bank · fall

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chip — for betting
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. foot — a measure
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rock — a stone

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