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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. march — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pass — a permit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. content — happy
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — a division
  24. pass — to spend time

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