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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.

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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — of the year
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. stock — a soup base

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