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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — in sport
  7. content — the amount
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. band — a ring
  12. cue — a signal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. track — a path
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — happy
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cue — a hint
  23. track — a song
  24. branch — a division

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