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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: club · rock · mate · branch · nail · scale · game · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. club — for dancing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — a partner
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. club — a group
  16. branch — a division
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rock — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. game — a match
  24. rock — a stone

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