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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 120 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: ball · bark · charge · branch · field · scale · rule · swing

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a dance
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. branch — a division
  11. swing — music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — in golf
  15. field — for sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. charge — in control
  19. field — farmland
  20. rule — government
  21. charge — a price
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — in music
  24. field — a subject

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