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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. band — a music group
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. branch — a division
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — for catching
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a ring
  23. net — after costs
  24. branch — of a tree

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