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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. spell — letters
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spring — the season
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — for golf
  15. rule — a law
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — of water
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — a price
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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