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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for dancing
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — electricity
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — a group
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for golf

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