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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — electricity
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. track — a path
  15. key — the most important part
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. track — to keep track
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — in 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