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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: file · content · calf · race · press · chip · sharp · bank

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — newspapers
  10. race — a contest
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bank — of a river
  14. press — to push
  15. race — the arms race
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — happy
  19. file — a document
  20. race — humankind
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bank — for money

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