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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: chip · shower · chair · net · safe · branch · pound · stick

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. net — for catching
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. net — after costs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — for betting
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chip — to eat

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