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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: hide · net · chip · bear · ground · fine · rash · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — for catching
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ground — a position
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ground — the earth
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. net — in sport

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