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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 · net · spell · track · arm · branch · perch · fan

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — magic
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. track — a path
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — to eat
  22. net — for catching
  23. spell — letters
  24. chip — for betting

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