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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. track — a path
  14. cell — a phone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. track — to keep track
  17. charge — a price
  18. key — for a lock
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cell — in biology
  21. season — of the year
  22. key — in music
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — to succeed

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