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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 120 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: content · bear · capital · drill · branch · file · bulb · pit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — a division
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. drill — a practice
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. file — a document
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — happy
  23. drill — army training
  24. branch — of a tree

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