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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.

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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: snap · scale · branch · fork · file · chair · fan · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. branch — a division
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a document
  14. fork — in a road
  15. snap — to click
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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