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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: race · tube · roll · track · perch · net · mug · branch

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — humankind
  9. net — after costs
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. net — for catching
  14. race — a contest
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — the underground
  20. roll — a cake
  21. net — in sport
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — a cup
  24. branch — a division

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