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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: face · tube · court · craft · mug · bowl · branch · bark

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. court — of law
  7. mug — a face
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. court — of a king
  11. face — to confront
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. craft — boats
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — a container
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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