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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: chair · bear · net · firm · craft · trunk · branch · chip

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. craft — boats
  6. chair — a leader
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — after costs
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. firm — a company
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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