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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 · foot · cold · game · cue · key · bank · band

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a music group
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a ring
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cold — not warm
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chip — to eat
  22. foot — a measure
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chip — for betting

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