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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. club — a group
  6. key — for a lock
  7. capital — a city
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. charge — electricity
  16. key — the most important part
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. capital — money
  20. key — in music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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