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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — the amount
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. clip — a video
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. court — for sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. clip — for paper
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — to cut
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. court — of law
  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