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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: club · fan · charge · field · row · scale · branch · cabinet

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. field — a subject
  7. row — a line
  8. club — a group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for dancing
  13. scale — in music
  14. field — farmland
  15. row — to paddle
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — size or range
  23. club — for golf
  24. row — a quarrel

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