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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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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: ruler · content · wind · pitcher · track · mouse · trunk · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — the amount
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ruler — a monarch

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