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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: chip · snap · rash · scale · branch · arm · band · craft

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. scale — size or range
  16. craft — boats
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — to eat
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to click

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