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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. last — final
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — in a road
  14. last — finally
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — a division
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — soda

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