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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — in control
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bank — of a river
  6. charge — a price
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. branch — a division
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — electricity
  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