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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: race · ground · fork · branch · jam · bulb · scale · chip

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. race — humankind
  9. ground — a position
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ground — the earth
  12. race — a contest
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ground — crushed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bulb — for light

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