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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 116 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: court · branch · pop · firm · tube · can · saw · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. firm — decided
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — a tin

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