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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — in control
  10. branch — a division
  11. bass — low music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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