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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — a cake
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — a list
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — for betting
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — a hole

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