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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: fork · bay · rash · chip · bear · cabinet · bank · net

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — in a road

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