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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. branch — a division
  4. net — for catching
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — goods
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. net — in sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — electricity

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