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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 120 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: mouse · chip · staff · mark · wind · pound · march · branch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. staff — a stick
  11. march — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — a division
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — in a computer

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