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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — electricity
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — a break
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rest — what's left
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. charge — in control
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — a price
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — the amount

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