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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bound — certain
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — temperature
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mine — for digging
  21. degree — from a university
  22. tube — a container
  23. bass — low music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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