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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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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: board · rule · pit · row · branch · pitcher · can · tube

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. row — a line
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. row — to paddle
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — a hole
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rule — government
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — the underground

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