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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. land — ground
  3. content — the amount
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — the underground
  10. firm — a company
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. content — happy
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. stand — to bear
  21. firm — steady
  22. land — a country
  23. branch — a division
  24. land — to come down

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