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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: net · cold · content · branch · mug · chip · wind · pass

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cold — an illness
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — for catching
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chip — to eat
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. net — in sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mug — a face
  18. content — the amount
  19. cold — not warm
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pass — a permit

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