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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 · track · branch · rest · sharp · pass · board · chip

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — a song
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rest — a break
  15. board — to get on
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. net — after costs

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