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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 120 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: branch · tube · foot · bowl · racket · suit · mate · cold

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. suit — in cards
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cold — an illness
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — a container

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