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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. file — a document
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. cue — for pool
  18. root — the cause
  19. chip — to eat
  20. file — a tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — certain
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bound — tied together

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