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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: arm · kid · track · pitch · branch · tube · can · net

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. net — for catching
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. branch — a division
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — to keep track
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — after costs
  21. tube — the underground
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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