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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — of water
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spring — the season
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cap — a lid
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cap — of ice
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a great time
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ball — a round shape

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