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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — a price
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. club — for golf
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — a group
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. club — for dancing

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