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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 124 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. firm — decided
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — of a river
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — for money
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — happy
  24. firm — a company

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