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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: content · leaves · sharp · tube · chip · branch · straw · track

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. track — a song
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — the amount
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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