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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · field · object · chair · chip · wave · can · march

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — a subject
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. field — farmland
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — a thing
  23. march — music
  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