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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — a path
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. branch — a division
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — a price
  23. track — to keep track
  24. branch — of a bank

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