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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. file — a line of people
  4. scale — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. file — a document
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kick — in football
  18. land — to come down
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. content — happy
  24. land — ground

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