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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chip — to eat
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. row — a line
  11. branch — a division
  12. stock — shares
  13. rash — hasty
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rash — a series
  24. staff — a stick

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