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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: net · current · branch · bulb · swing · bowl · chip · roll

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — for betting
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — a division
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. roll — a list
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. swing — in golf

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