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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. branch — a division
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — happy
  13. root — of a plant
  14. content — the amount
  15. root — of a word
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. scale — in music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — size or range

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