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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 · hand · sharp · firm · mine · bowl · branch · tube

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — a company
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. branch — a division
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — steady
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — clever

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