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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: straw · cue · branch · fine · chip · pop · tear · board

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — all right
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fine — high quality
  9. board — a committee
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pop — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — soda
  22. cue — for pool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — a penalty

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