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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: bowl · branch · track · tube · club · lie · rush · bay

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. tube — the underground
  15. club — a group
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a path
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — a division

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