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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — a match
  3. bark — to shout
  4. game — wild animals
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. march — music
  11. present — a gift
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — electricity
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. present — there
  22. branch — a division
  23. charge — a price
  24. fan — a supporter

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