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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: bay · scale · foot · bear · race · branch · date · tube

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. branch — a division
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. race — a contest
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. race — humankind
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. race — the arms race
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. scale — size or range
  24. date — the fruit

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