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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. can — to be able to
  3. board — a committee
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — in a road
  14. present — there
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. present — the time now
  19. branch — a division
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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