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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. charge — in control
  4. root — the cause
  5. club — for golf
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — a position
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — the earth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — a group
  22. branch — a division
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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