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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: fork · cold · charge · fine · branch · jam · mouse · object

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — a thing
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. charge — a price
  16. object — an aim
  17. cold — not warm
  18. branch — a division
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. object — to protest
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — in a road

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