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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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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — a thing
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. object — an aim
  20. bass — low music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. can — to be able to

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