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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — a break
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — to crush
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mark — a grade
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — happy
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — the amount
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rest — what's left

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