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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.

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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: charge · safe · date · pop · ground · branch · net · mouse

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. net — after costs
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — for catching
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ground — the earth
  23. charge — in control
  24. date — the fruit

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