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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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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: board · content · cabinet · chip · bowl · row · branch · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — a division
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. content — happy
  14. row — a line
  15. tube — a container
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — to paddle
  18. content — the amount
  19. board — a committee
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chip — to eat

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