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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a path
  7. press — newspapers
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lean — to bend
  20. press — to push
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — thin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — of a bank

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