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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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Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — of water
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — the season
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. branch — of a bank

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