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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — a hat
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — wild animals
  24. branch — a division

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