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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — for golf
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. land — a country
  10. charge — in control
  11. cell — in biology
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. tube — a container
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. cell — a phone

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