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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: arm · mug · branch · pound · content · kid · chip · fine

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. content — happy
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. content — videos and posts

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