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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — government
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — a division
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — in control
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. content — happy
  15. rule — a law
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. content — the amount
  24. charge — a price

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