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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: fork · tube · tear · pit · branch · band · cue · season

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fork — in a road
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — for pool
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tear — from crying
  16. band — a music group
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a rubber band

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