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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: branch · stem · saw · charge · jam · game · cell · mouse

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. branch — a division
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. stem — to come from
  9. game — a match
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — 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