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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: chip · branch · jam · foot · clip · swing · bass · board

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. clip — a video
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — low music
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. clip — to cut
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — the fish
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. branch — a division
  24. board — a flat piece

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