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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: clip · chip · firm · foot · branch · straw · squash · jam

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — a company
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. clip — for paper
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. clip — to cut
  15. firm — steady
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. foot — a measure
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. firm — decided
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — a video

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