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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: cell · bound · bay · band · toast · bank · chip · mine

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. band — a ring
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. toast — bread
  15. bound — certain
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mine — for digging
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. toast — the most admired

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