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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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