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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chip — for betting
  7. content — the amount
  8. object — to protest
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. object — an aim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

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