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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ground — a position
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — crushed

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