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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · branch · scale · chip · rash · stand · bay · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — to eat
  6. branch — a division
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — in music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. clip — a video
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rash — a series

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