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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bark — to shout
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — a leader
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  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