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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — low music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — to tire
  13. roll — a list
  14. bore — to drill
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tube — in a tire

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