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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: board · file · branch · pop · saw · capital · pass · charge

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — money
  10. board — a committee
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — soda
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. branch — a division
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. charge — in control
  22. board — to get on
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — to succeed

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