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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.

Make a worksheet

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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a line
  13. game — wild animals
  14. row — to paddle
  15. branch — a division
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — in control
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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