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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: chip · racket · scale · season · lie · bank · prune · stick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. bank — of a river
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lie — to recline
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — to add flavour
  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