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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — farmland
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — of a word
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — of law
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — a hole
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. field — a subject
  18. court — for sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — thin

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