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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — a group
  23. tube — a container
  24. sharp — with an edge

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