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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: object · chair · ruler · branch · chip · bulb · court · lash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — for sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. court — of law
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chair — a leader
  23. object — an aim
  24. court — of a king

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