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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — a division
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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