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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: mate · race · suit · chip · wind · branch · fork · bat

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. suit — to fit
  10. race — a contest
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — to breed
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bat — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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