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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. net — for catching
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cap — of ice
  8. present — a gift
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — a container
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cap — a hat
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. present — the time now
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — there
  24. bank — for money

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