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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pass — a permit
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. charge — electricity
  6. field — for sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. firm — decided
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. charge — in control
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — a subject
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — a division
  15. field — farmland
  16. file — a document
  17. net — in sport
  18. file — a tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bark — to shout

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