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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: land · mark · board · file · tube · branch · bass · charge

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bass — the fish
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mark — a grade
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — low music
  17. file — a document
  18. board — to get on
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. file — a tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. file — a line of people

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