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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. can — a tin
  2. charge — a price
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — in control
  14. branch — a division
  15. kid — child
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kid — to tease
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pass — to spend time
  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