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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: chip · ball · net · cue · spell · branch · chest · cabinet

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — for catching
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — for pool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spell — letters
  21. net — in sport
  22. chest — a box
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — a hint

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