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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. content — the amount
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — a division
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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