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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — to fit
  4. content — happy
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — to confront
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. content — the amount
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cap — a hat
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — the earth
  15. court — for sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — in cards
  19. court — of a king
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. court — of law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. branch — a division
  24. cabinet — ministers

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