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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: foot · branch · charge · land · tube · cell · dip · track

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cell — a phone
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a path
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — to come down
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cell — in biology
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — a container
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. track — a song

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