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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: rush · club · wake · season · branch · pitcher · chip · staff

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — of the year
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — to eat
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — a group
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — for betting

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