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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 120 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tube — a container
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — low music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — a division
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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