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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: bass · jam · branch · racket · track · chip · lie · spring

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — the fish
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. track — a song
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spring — of water
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a path
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. chip — to eat
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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