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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a song
  4. content — happy
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a path
  15. chest — a box
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rule — government
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fine — all right

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