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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: ruler · chip · branch · last · bat · spell · date · object

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. bat — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — a division
  18. object — an aim
  19. last — to go on
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — letters

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