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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: chip · dip · rock · suit · mine · branch · degree · spring

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chip — for betting
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. degree — an amount
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. suit — in cards
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. spring — a coil
  22. suit — clothes
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — to move gently

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