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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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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: rest · staff · object · fork · bank · pass · chip · kid

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. object — to protest
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — a thing
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — employees
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — a permit

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