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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — music
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. season — in sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cue — a signal
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — a division

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