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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 124 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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — music
  6. content — the amount
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — the season
  12. swing — to play on
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. content — happy
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — a stone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — in golf

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