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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. charge — in control
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — to get on
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fine — all right
  17. cell — in biology
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — a division
  24. cell — in a prison

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