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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: club · bowl · object · season · branch · hide · tube · roll

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — in sport
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — of the year
  10. object — to protest
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — the underground
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. roll — a list
  17. club — a group
  18. object — a thing
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — a division

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