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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pit — in a race
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. snap — to click
  24. content — the amount

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