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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — magic
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cap — a hat
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mouse — for a computer

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