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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: bound · tube · march · cue · branch · mate · rock · rest

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. march — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a friend
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rest — a break

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