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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — the season
  7. fine — high quality
  8. charge — electricity
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fine — all right
  21. toast — bread
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — a tight spot

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