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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. bore — to tire
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — soda
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — a song
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — a division
  12. charge — in control
  13. pop — to visit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bore — to drill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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