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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · branch · board · mouse · charge · race

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — in control
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — a division
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree

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