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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. ground — the earth
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ground — a position
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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