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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: march · firm · branch · game · snap · cabinet · bear · content

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. game — a match
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. march — music
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. firm — decided
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. content — the amount
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — a company
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. march — the month
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to click
  23. branch — a division
  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