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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — happy
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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