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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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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 · rule · jam · kick · saw · chest · chip · ground

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chest — a box
  9. kick — in football
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — in a computer

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