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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — a division
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. content — the amount
  7. plane — a tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. content — happy
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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