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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. game — a match
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. content — the amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tube — a container
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — happy

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