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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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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 · lean · tear · pitch · plane · racket · board · branch

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lean — to bend
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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