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

Word bank: chip · suit · branch · kid · bass · bowl · cell · chest

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chest — a box
  12. cell — a phone
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chest — of your body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — low music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. suit — to fit
  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