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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · chip · spring · bear · pitcher · pitch · tube · branch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bear — to put up with

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