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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: branch · wound · scale · safe · pit · object · saw · chip

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — for betting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — in a race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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