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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bass — low music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — crushed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — to play on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — a container
  20. ground — the earth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ground — a position

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