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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — a container
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — of the leg

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