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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rock — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. court — of a king
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. court — for sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. content — happy
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — letters
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of law
  19. spell — a short time
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — the amount
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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