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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · present · race · cabinet · bound · bank · roll · chip

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — for betting
  4. race — a contest
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mug — to rob
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — tied together
  13. present — a gift
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a face
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — of a river
  20. present — the time now
  21. bound — certain
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a list
  24. chip — in a computer

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