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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · ruler · tear · stick · content · branch · cap · ball

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — the amount
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a dance
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — happy
  24. tear — from crying

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