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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bass — low music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — size or range
  17. net — in sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — the fish
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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