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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: chair · game · tube · branch · fine · sharp · mark · leaves

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — a match
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fine — high quality
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — a container
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. sharp — exactly

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