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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 · bass · charge · roll · board · rest · march · ball

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — a price
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ball — a dance
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a cake
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bass — low music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — a break

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