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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 · arm · charge · shower · branch · bank · capital · mouse

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — a city
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — a price
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pop — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. capital — money

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