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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — an amount
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. fork — in a road
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — to handle
  12. content — happy
  13. race — the arms race
  14. content — the amount
  15. branch — a division
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. race — humankind
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — from a university
  23. race — a contest
  24. fork — a garden 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