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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. toast — bread
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — a price
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — to get on
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. season — in sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bass — low music

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