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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.

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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: track · chip · can · season · row · march · branch · key

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. row — a line
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. track — to keep track
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a song
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. key — for a lock
  17. march — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a path
  23. row — to paddle
  24. march — the month

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