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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: wave · branch · mug · bound · scale · mate · ball · charge

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — in control
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mug — a face
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. charge — electricity
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — a division
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — in music
  16. charge — a price
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bound — tied together
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — with your hand

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