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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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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: cabinet · pound · drill · pop · leaves · tube · branch · pitcher

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — army training
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — a division
  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