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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 116 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
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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 · mate · object · present · charge · race · game · branch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — humankind
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — there
  5. object — a thing
  6. game — wild animals
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — a gift
  10. race — a contest
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — a match
  13. race — the arms race
  14. present — the time now
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — ground
  24. branch — a division

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