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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. bound — certain
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. deal — to handle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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