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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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468
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: chip · game · can · bowl · fan · bank · net · sharp

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — for betting
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a match
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. net — for catching
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bank — of a river
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — in sport

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