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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: spring · pit · stick · hand · board · branch · chip · pitcher

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. branch — a division
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. hand — in cards
  21. board — a committee
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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