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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · wave · chip · plane · scale · stock · branch · club

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — a tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — a division
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stock — shares

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