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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: charge · current · branch · squash · hide · racket

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — happening now
  5. branch — a division
  6. current — of water
  7. charge — a price
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — electricity
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin

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