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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — certain
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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