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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — a group
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — in music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. march — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. club — for golf
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pitch — completely
  21. charge — electricity
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — a price
  24. club — for dancing

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