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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — steady
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — decided
  9. tube — a container
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — there
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. firm — a company
  19. fine — high quality
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. court — of law

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