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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. suit — to fit
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. suit — clothes
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — for catching
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. field — a subject
  24. net — after costs

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