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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — electricity
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — in control
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — to confront
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. face — part of the head
  24. row — a line

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