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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · pass · jam · branch · sharp · tube

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tube — a container
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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