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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 124 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — after costs
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — in sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — the fruit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. branch — of a tree

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