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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · content · charge · clip · game · staff · branch · fan

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. content — happy
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — a match
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. staff — employees

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