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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spring — of water
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — a division
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spring — a coil
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — in cards

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