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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — electricity
  4. firm — steady
  5. charge — a price
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — to be able to
  8. firm — a company
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. field — farmland
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — in control
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. branch — of a bank

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