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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
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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: tube · fan · pitcher · bay · sharp · field · branch · saw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. field — farmland
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — for sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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