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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: firm · tube · court · cap · branch · lie · race · stick

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — the underground
  10. firm — steady
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — a division
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — of a king
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. court — of law
  24. cap — of ice

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