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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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Word bank
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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: tube · branch · field · stand · perch · bowl

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. branch — of a bank

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