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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. dip — to sink
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — a division
  23. snap — to click
  24. pop — 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