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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. can — to be able to
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — the fruit
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cue — a hint
  13. can — a tin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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