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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. clip — a video
  6. chip — to eat
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for golf
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — goods
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — shares
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — a division

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