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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: bat · bay · branch · toast · net · charge · leaves · cap

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. net — in sport
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — a hat
  18. net — after costs
  19. toast — bread
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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