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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — a division
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cue — a hint
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — size or range
  14. band — a music group
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — goods

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