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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: chip · mug · jam · saw · hand · file · branch · field

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mug — a face
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mug — to rob
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. field — for sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. field — farmland
  17. file — a tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. hand — help
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chip — for betting
  24. saw — the tool

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