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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. club — for golf
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — a price
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — in a road
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — a group
  22. branch — a division
  23. season — in sport
  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