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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.

Make a worksheet

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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — a division
  16. file — a document
  17. bass — the fish
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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