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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mug — a face
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ground — crushed
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. ground — a position
  20. last — final
  21. mug — a cup
  22. club — for golf
  23. march — the month
  24. branch — a division

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