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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · bass · cold · foot · rock · racket · dip · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cold — not warm
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cold — an illness
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bass — the instrument

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