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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: net · deal · chip · fall · board · stock · lash · branch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — to get on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. deal — to handle
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — for betting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. branch — a division
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. fall — the season
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. branch — of a bank

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