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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: game · pass · hand · nail · charge · stock · court · branch

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. court — for sport
  10. stock — shares
  11. charge — in control
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — electricity
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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