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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: board · charge · swing · pitcher · fork · roll · branch · wake

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wake — a trail
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. roll — a list
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — a division
  11. swing — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — electricity
  14. board — to get on
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — to play on
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. swing — in golf

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