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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — in sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — a division
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — a container
  23. season — of the year
  24. pound — for dogs

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