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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · temple · racket · season · cabinet · branch · chip · net

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — in sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. net — in sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. chip — for betting
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — to crush
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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