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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — the amount
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — to come from
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. content — happy
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. land — a country
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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