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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — a company
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. march — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — a division
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tube — a container
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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