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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — to eat
  3. track — a song
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bound — tied together
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bound — certain
  22. fine — all right
  23. branch — a division
  24. mouse — the animal

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