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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 116 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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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: ground · branch · staff · mark · chip · prune · content · ruler

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. content — happy
  3. mark — a grade
  4. branch — a division
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mark — a trace
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — to eat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — a stick
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — the amount
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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