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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. ground — crushed
  5. degree — temperature
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — a container
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. charge — in control
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mug — a face
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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