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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · tube · staff · branch · fine · press · charge · mine

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — for digging
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — a stick
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fine — all right
  11. branch — a division
  12. fine — high quality
  13. press — a publisher
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — wild animals
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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