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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 116 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: content · mug · pound · ground · safe · branch · charge · squash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — a price
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. mug — a face
  17. pound — a weight
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mug — a cup
  20. content — the amount
  21. charge — electricity
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — the vegetable

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