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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: bear · capital · branch · chip · clip · board · fine · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — for paper
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. capital — money
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fine — all right

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