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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tube — the underground
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. prune — to trim

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