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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: pit · shower · jam · branch · file · chip · game · rock

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — in a race
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — a division
  16. file — a tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. file — a document
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a match
  24. branch — of a bank

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