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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — a group
  3. spell — a short time
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — a leader
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — a division
  23. bark — to shout
  24. club — for dancing

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