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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.

Words on the sheet
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: tube · roll · board · patient · last · bank · chip · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — to get on
  8. bank — of a river
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. last — to go on
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — final
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tube — the underground
  17. last — finally
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chip — to eat
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — in a tire

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