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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fork — in a road
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — a face
  7. tube — a container
  8. march — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — a price
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mug — a cup
  13. root — of a word
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. march — the month
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — a division
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — the cause
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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