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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: coach · chip · foot · branch · ruler · current · file · cap

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cap — a hat
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chip — to eat
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. branch — a division
  17. cap — a lid
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — of a tree

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