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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 116 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
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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 · swing · branch · clip · chip · trunk · race · can

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — to play on
  7. clip — a video
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — in golf
  13. branch — a division
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — humankind
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bass — the fish
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. swing — music

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