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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — of law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. court — of a king
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — low music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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