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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. club — a group
  4. date — the fruit
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — clever
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — newspapers
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. press — to push
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. firm — decided

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