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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — to tease
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rule — government
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. season — of the year
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. branch — a division
  20. rule — a law
  21. kid — child
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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