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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — the amount
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. field — farmland
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — for sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — of a river
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — happy
  23. field — a subject
  24. root — of a plant

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