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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.

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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: present · mouse · cap · pit · net · charge · branch · rest

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a hole
  5. charge — electricity
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — a price
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. net — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. present — a gift
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — a break

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