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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. branch — a division
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. clip — to cut

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