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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: suit · racket · game · branch · march · wind · squash · chip

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — clothes
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — in cards
  15. branch — a division
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. game — a match
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — in a computer

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