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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mug — a face
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — a thing
  20. track — a path
  21. mug — a cup
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. branch — of a tree

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