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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mug — to rob
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. charge — a price
  12. field — for sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. net — after costs
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. net — for catching
  17. kid — child
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. branch — a division
  23. net — in sport
  24. mug — a face

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