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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — in control
  5. fine — all right
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. branch — a division
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bark — to shout
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a rubber band

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