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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. land — a country
  5. rash — a series
  6. craft — boats
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — ground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — to come down
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. craft — a handicraft

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