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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. degree — from a university
  5. press — to push
  6. land — a country
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. degree — temperature
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. press — a publisher
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — a division
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — a group

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