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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — a price
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. branch — a division
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — electricity
  23. capital — a city
  24. perch — for a bird

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