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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 · band · club · branch · can · date · pitcher · suit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. band — a music group
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. band — a ring
  22. suit — in cards
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — clothes

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