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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — of the year
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. drill — the tool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. drill — army training
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — a price
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. tube — the underground

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