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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · chair · charge · dip · drill · branch · arm · content

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. content — happy
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. drill — army training
  9. track — a song
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — electricity
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — videos and posts

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