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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — in control
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. drill — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cell — a phone
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pound — a weight
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. charge — electricity

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