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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 120 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: tube · arm · key · pound · chair · temple · branch · cue

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — a division
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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