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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: content · branch · snap · last · court · saw · board · key

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. last — finally
  4. court — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to click
  9. branch — a division
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. court — of a king
  16. content — happy
  17. last — to go on
  18. court — of law
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. key — for a lock
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. saw — the tool

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