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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fine — all right
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — a video
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chip — for betting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — to eat
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bass — the fish
  24. board — to get on

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