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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. roll — a cake
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mug — a face
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — the amount
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. suit — in cards
  19. branch — a division
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — in music

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