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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: leaves · tube · stock · branch · racket · pitcher · lie · arm

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tube — a container
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — goods
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a bank

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