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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cell — in biology
  6. craft — a skill
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rule — government
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — completely

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