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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — in sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — temperature
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stand — to bear
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — to add flavour

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