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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: tube · branch · game · net · hand · craft · dip · pound

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pound — a weight
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — a division
  6. game — wild animals
  7. net — for catching
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — a match
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — help
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — after costs

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