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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. branch — a division
  3. court — of a king
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — a stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a city

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