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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — a container
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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