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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. branch — a division
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — the amount
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — a hat

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