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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in biology
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a committee
  9. march — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. branch — a division
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — in control
  24. cell — a phone

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