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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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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: chip · branch · safe · cabinet · present · bowl · prune · leaves

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — the time now
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chip — to eat
  6. present — a gift
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. branch — of a bank

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