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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 · current · fine · branch · net · cell · date · cue

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — a phone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — a hint
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — for betting
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. current — electric
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — for pool
  24. branch — of a bank

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