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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spring — the season
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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