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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 · roll · last · chair · file · ground · bay

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. last — final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chair — a leader
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. roll — a list
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — finally
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a tool
  24. branch — a division

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