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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. key — in music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. branch — a division
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. content — the amount

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