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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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