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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — a weight

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