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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — clever
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. charge — a price
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — for betting
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — a division
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ball — a dance

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