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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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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: net · stand · present · object · tube · spell · ball · branch

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. object — to protest
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — in sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. present — there
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — a short time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tube — the underground
  24. branch — of a bank

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