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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: arm · mug · toast · date · chair · bank · chip · bulb

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mug — a cup
  24. arm — a part of something

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