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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — the cause
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — shares
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — the amount
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — a football final

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