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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — a stone
  19. land — ground
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rock — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — of a tree

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