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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — to handle
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. charge — a price
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. charge — in control
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. bat — the animal

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