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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tube — a container
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — for tennis

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