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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ball — a great time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a tool
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — a trace
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a grade
  22. file — a document
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — electricity

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