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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — a container
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — a division

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