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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · root · charge · branch · cabinet · rest · season · racket

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. charge — a price
  3. band — a music group
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — of a plant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. season — of the year
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — of a word
  24. rest — what's left

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