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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: bowl · branch · cabinet · toast · march · hand · charge · season

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. season — of the year
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. charge — in control

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