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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: squash · branch · land · chip · scale · swing · charge · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. swing — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. scale — size or range
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — to eat
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — a division
  12. chip — for betting
  13. land — ground
  14. squash — the sport
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — electricity
  24. scale — for weighing

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