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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. charge — a price
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. shower — rain
  18. charge — in control
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. race — a contest
  23. branch — a division
  24. race — humankind

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