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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tube — the underground
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. race — a contest
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — the arms race
  19. net — after costs
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. race — humankind
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. net — in sport

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