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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · bank · can · chip · rest · stick · pitcher · ground

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — a position
  18. hand — help
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — a break
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chip — to eat
  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