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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: mouse · jam · branch · pitch · trunk · tube · bear · ball

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ball — a dance
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — completely
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mouse — the animal

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