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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. vault — a safe
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. scale — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. charge — in control
  24. bound — obliged

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