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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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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. branch — a division
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — of the year
  8. rule — a law
  9. charge — a price
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — in sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — government
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rule — to rule out

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