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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. last — to go on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to tire
  5. track — a path
  6. chip — for betting
  7. charge — a price
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. track — a song
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. last — final
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — a division
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — finally
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a document
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stem — to come from
  24. charge — in control

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