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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: branch · bound · saw · tube · field · deal · rash · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. field — for sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. bound — certain
  5. field — farmland
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — a container
  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