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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: chest · bore · bowl · row · can · pop · chip · branch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bore — to drill
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. chest — a box
  15. pop — soda
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — a division
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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