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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: chip · mate · branch · field · fine · ruler · staff · pitcher

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — all right
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — farmland
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — to eat
  18. field — a subject
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — for betting
  24. field — for 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