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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · file · net · chip · last · branch · club · chest

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. file — a line of people
  4. net — after costs
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — finally
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. net — for catching
  12. file — a tool
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. last — to go on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. file — a document
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chest — a box
  22. net — in sport
  23. last — final
  24. branch — a division

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