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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — a path
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. last — to go on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. last — final
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. track — a song
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — to fit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hand — help

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