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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — a division
  4. spring — of water
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — rain
  22. spring — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a tree

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