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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. branch — a division
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — army training
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. wax — to grow
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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