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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — wild animals
  5. branch — a division
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a match
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — music
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. branch — of a tree

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