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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. scale — in music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. capital — a city
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — electricity
  16. capital — money
  17. charge — a price
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — to push
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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