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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: present · spring · object · chip · wax · club · branch · mark

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chip — to eat
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — there
  15. branch — a division
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. spring — the season
  21. club — for dancing
  22. object — an aim
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. club — for golf

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