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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 · ruler · march · bulb · cap · chip · bat · track

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bank — for money
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bank — for money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — of a river
  11. track — a song
  12. bat — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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