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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: bear · can · roll · chip · march · straw · branch · drill

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — a division
  4. chip — for betting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. drill — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chip — to eat
  15. roll — a list
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. roll — a cake
  23. march — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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