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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 116 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: leaves · rock · can · bowl · branch · chip · file · pop

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — soda
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — a tin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — a division
  20. pop — music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a line of people

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