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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spell — magic
  7. degree — an amount
  8. scale — in music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. branch — a division
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — letters
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. spell — a short time
  18. degree — temperature
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — in control

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