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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — a division
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. clip — to cut
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — for paper
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — hasty

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