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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: pitcher · branch · bark · pop · rush · mine · tube · lie

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — a container
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitcher — a jug

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