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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: squash · branch · chip · leaves · track · pit · fan · hand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — a division
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — for betting
  24. leaves — to go away

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