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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: temple · stem · chip · fan · net · pitcher · branch · deal

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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 bank
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — in sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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