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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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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: foot · chip · jam · hide · suit · deal · branch · bat

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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