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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. deal — to handle

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