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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of a king
  7. band — a ring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — to eat
  12. press — a publisher
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — for betting
  18. press — newspapers
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — a division
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — of law

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