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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — a division
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — of ice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. cap — a hat

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