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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. plane — a tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — for dancing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. club — for golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — a division
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. board — a committee
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — a price

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