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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — a company
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — a division
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. content — the amount
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — happy
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. firm — steady
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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