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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cell — a phone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — a position
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of a king
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of law
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cell — in biology
  24. branch — a division

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