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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — all right
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — a law
  23. hand — help
  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