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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spring — the season
  7. branch — a division
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — a coil
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — electricity
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. charge — in control

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