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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: game · branch · key · bulb · row · charge · board · patient

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — a line
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — a division
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. game — a match
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. game — a kind of play

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