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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. season — in sport
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cell — in biology
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — of water
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spring — the season
  17. branch — a division
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. season — of the year
  23. cell — a phone
  24. kid — child

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