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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: lash · content · safe · ground · capital · rule · branch · ball

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — crushed
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. rule — a law
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. capital — a city
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — a division
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — a position
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. content — happy

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