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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: pound · chip · degree · rock · club · fine · cabinet · bank

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — a group
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rock — music
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bank — of a river

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