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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. scale — in music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. content — the amount
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a grade
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kick — in football
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — with a leg

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