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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. branch — a division
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a city
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ground — the earth
  18. suit — in cards
  19. content — the amount
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. capital — a big letter

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