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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — a subject
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pit — in a race
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — a law
  17. race — humankind
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — to be able to
  22. field — farmland
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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