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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. firm — a company
  3. content — happy
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ground — a position
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bass — low music

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