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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — a container

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