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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — a division
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — a permit
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. march — music
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — the season
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — of a word
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — a coil

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