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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: tube · face · content · fork · ground · mug · drill · branch

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. drill — army training
  3. face — to confront
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tube — a container
  6. ground — a position
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. drill — the tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fork — in a road
  13. drill — a practice
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — to rob
  16. content — happy
  17. branch — a division
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ground — crushed
  20. content — the amount
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a face
  24. fork — a garden 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