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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.

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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: bass · pop · cue · kid · object · board · tube · branch

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kid — child
  11. object — an aim
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. object — a thing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. branch — a division
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — the fish

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