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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. object — a thing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — in sport
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — an aim
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. swing — in golf
  20. branch — a division
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chip — to eat

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