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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: bore · chip · game · mouse · season · file · branch · present

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chip — to eat
  3. file — a document
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — wild animals
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. bore — to tire
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  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