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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: bank · season · land · deal · chip · roll · row · bound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. roll — a list
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — to come down
  8. row — a line
  9. bound — obliged
  10. row — to paddle
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bound — certain
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. land — ground
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — to eat
  24. land — a country

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