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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 120 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: degree · shower · bank · fine · key · board · pitch · chip

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — for betting
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — the most important part
  8. board — a committee
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — to get on
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. degree — an amount
  18. shower — to wash
  19. degree — from a university
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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