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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ball — a great time
  3. branch — a division
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — a price
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. row — to paddle
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. content — the amount
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — steady
  16. row — a line
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — happy
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — of a tree

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