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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: mouse · pit · cabinet · can · charge · branch · wax · march

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — the month
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — to grow
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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