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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: fall · patient · rash · chip · club · toast · trunk · branch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — a series
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. club — for golf
  19. toast — bread
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — a division
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chip — to eat

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