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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — final
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — of the year
  15. pop — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — a price
  20. pop — soda
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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