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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: branch · suit · chip · bear · perch · present · file · mark

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — a division
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — there
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chip — to eat
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a line of people
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a trace
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — to fit

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