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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 120 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: stick · branch · field · chip · perch · snap · key · face

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. field — a subject
  4. chip — for betting
  5. field — farmland
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to click
  13. key — in music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — the most important part
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — a division
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — for sport

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