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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — a division
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. field — farmland
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. field — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — a list

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