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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: snap · pop · charge · mark · club · branch · bowl · rule

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pop — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. rule — government
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rule — a law
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — a trace
  15. club — a group
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. club — for golf
  19. charge — a price
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — to roll

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