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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chest — a box
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tear — to rip
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — a division
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — in control
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a flat piece

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