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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: bound · rush · branch · firm · rest · scale · kid · chip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chip — to eat
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — steady
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — in music
  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