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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. capital — a city
  12. track — a path
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. track — a song
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. arm — a part of something

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