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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.

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: net · cap · mouse · branch · leaves · fork · firm · charge

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — decided
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. net — for catching
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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