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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: rock · roll · mark · clip · branch · pitch · chip · racket

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — a list
  10. clip — to cut
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — a video
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chip — to eat
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mark — a grade
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mark — a trace
  24. clip — for paper

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