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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — in cards
  12. root — the cause
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — a division
  16. swing — to play on
  17. root — of a word
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — to visit

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