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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: temple · calf · field · stock · chip · chair · can · branch

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. field — a subject
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — farmland
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. field — for sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stock — goods
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. can — a tin

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