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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — a thing
  15. firm — decided
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. branch — a division
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — to eat
  24. squash — the vegetable

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