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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — happy
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — in control
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — in music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — a lid
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — music
  24. cap — of ice

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