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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 · degree · staff · wave · rock · date · spell · branch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — a stone
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chip — for betting
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — to eat

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