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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — a container
  6. land — ground
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — a division
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. club — for golf
  13. content — the amount
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. land — a country

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