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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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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: pop · race · charge · mouse · bat · branch · game · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. branch — a division
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. game — a match
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — a price
  24. game — wild animals

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