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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ground — a position
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — happy
  23. branch — a division
  24. content — the amount

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