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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: branch · roll · chip · bark · mug · nail · content · rash

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. content — the amount
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — a division
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chip — for betting
  19. content — happy
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. branch — of a tree

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