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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — a division
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — letters
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic

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