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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — the amount
  4. field — farmland
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. branch — a division
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — of a bank

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