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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · cue · racket · stand · tube · trunk · fan · mate

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — to breed
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mate — a friend
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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