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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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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: mark · bay · craft · branch · land · kick · arm · chip

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — to come down
  11. chip — for betting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. land — a country
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — boats
  22. land — ground
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — a horse colour

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