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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — a subject
  5. court — of a king
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — farmland
  9. branch — a division
  10. rest — a break
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — the underground

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