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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — for sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pit — in a race
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — happy
  23. charge — a price
  24. perch — for a bird

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