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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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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: roll · charge · bank · chip · squash · rock · bowl · bound

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rock — music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. roll — a list
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — tied together
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — a stone

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