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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 · branch · coach · land · degree · nail · bass · mouse

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. land — ground
  24. degree — from a university

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