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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: fine · tube · branch · shower · scale · present · net · pass

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. net — after costs
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. shower — to wash
  5. branch — a division
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. net — for catching
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. present — a gift
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. net — in sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to succeed

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