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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. swing — to play on
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. track — a song
  12. firm — steady
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. firm — decided
  17. board — to get on
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — a division
  20. content — happy
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — of a bank

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