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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — a stone
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — music
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. branch — a division
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tube — the underground

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