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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a music group
  8. court — for sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. suit — to fit
  15. court — of law
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chip — to eat
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. court — of a king
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — a division

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