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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · rock · fine · branch · charge · club · vault · spring

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. charge — in control
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mine — for digging
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — of water
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. branch — a division
  23. club — for golf
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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