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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. content — happy
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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