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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: pop · pitcher · club · tube · stand · field · branch · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — farmland
  5. pop — soda
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — music
  15. club — a group
  16. branch — a division
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pop — to visit
  19. club — for golf
  20. tube — a container
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tube — the underground

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