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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chip — for betting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — a division
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a cup
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hand — in cards

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