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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — in music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — a division
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chip — for betting
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — size or range

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