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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — hurry
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — a committee
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — a container
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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