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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: object · dip · branch · net · season · rash · content · club

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — hasty
  6. season — in sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. net — for catching
  13. object — a thing
  14. season — of the year
  15. club — for golf
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. club — for dancing
  18. net — in sport
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. object — an aim
  21. content — happy
  22. rash — a series
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — after costs

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