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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: perch · branch · charge · march · ball · arm · race · fan

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. race — a contest
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. race — the arms race
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — humankind
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. march — the month
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — music

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