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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · can · saw · fork · cap · branch · chip · hide

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. can — to be able to
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — to paddle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a lid
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — of ice
  24. saw — the tool

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