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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — a stick
  16. branch — a division
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — for betting
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stock — goods
  23. staff — employees
  24. bank — of a river

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