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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: bank · chip · net · track · straw · club · coach · bulb

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — a path
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. net — in sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — of a river
  15. track — a song
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for golf
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for dancing

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