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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. content — happy
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — a hint
  20. present — there
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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