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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 120 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: game · snap · branch · foot · shower · deal · charge · stock

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. game — a match
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. branch — a division
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — rain
  16. foot — a measure
  17. shower — to wash
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — goods
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stock — shares
  24. deal — an agreement

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