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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. clip — to cut
  5. firm — decided
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — a video
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — of ice
  13. perch — the fish
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — a company
  24. cap — a lid

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