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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. court — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — a friend
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — in control
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a tree

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