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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. court — of a king
  6. land — ground
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rock — music
  13. land — to come down
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. court — for sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — of law
  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