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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: chair · pass · mouse · kick · branch · season · content · bear

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — in football
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pass — to spend time

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