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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — in cards
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — to fit
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. content — the amount
  21. capital — money
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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