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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 · mouse · game · club · perch · pit · tear · tube

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. club — for dancing
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — to rip
  14. game — a match
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. branch — a division
  18. club — for golf
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. club — a group

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