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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: sharp · can · date · branch · chip · arm · degree · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — clever
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — a division
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — the fruit
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. arm — part of the body

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