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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: branch · pitch · chip · fan · bowl · spring · row · roll

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — completely
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chip — for betting
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. row — to paddle
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a football final

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