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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — low music
  16. season — in sport
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — electricity
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the fish
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — a jug

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