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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. firm — decided
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. last — to go on
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — a division
  17. last — final
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — a video
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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