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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. branch — a division
  7. game — wild animals
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — a price
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — with a leg

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