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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.

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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: craft · branch · patient · object · spring · chip · charge · cabinet

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — of water
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — in control
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. chip — to eat
  17. craft — a skill
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — the season
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — a handicraft

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