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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pop — music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — happy
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — the amount
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. plane — a tool

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