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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: branch · club · date · tube · pop · saw · mouse · mate

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — soda
  3. club — for dancing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. branch — a division
  24. pop — music

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