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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: branch · squash · jam · content · sharp · roll · racket · bulb

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. content — happy
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the sport
  17. content — the amount
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. roll — a cake
  24. sharp — clever

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