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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — a cup
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. pop — music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — a division
  9. fine — high quality
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — soda
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — a face
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — to visit
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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