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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mate — a friend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mate — to breed
  9. content — happy
  10. drill — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. drill — army training
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — for sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. shower — to wash
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — a partner
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. court — of a king

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