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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — a container
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — for tennis
  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