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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: pit · stand · race · branch · tube · net · deal · present

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — a hole
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — a division
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. present — there
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — the underground
  18. net — for catching
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — a contest
  23. stand — to bear
  24. net — after costs

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