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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.

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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: pitcher · branch · track · fan · dip · chip · face · racket

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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