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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 120 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: mark · chair · can · wake · row · pit · mouse · branch

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — a line

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