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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — a company
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — a division
  14. firm — steady
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pass — a permit
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. firm — decided
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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