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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: bark · hand · cabinet · march · chip · branch · bank · charge

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — the month
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. march — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — a price
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bark — of a tree

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