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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: foot · hand · chip · track · bank · ground · cabinet · club

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — a group
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — a position
  15. hand — help
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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