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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — to bear
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chip — to eat
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. branch — a division
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — in music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — of a tree

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