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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.

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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: branch · game · rash · toast · charge · band · patient · foot

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. toast — bread
  3. charge — in control
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a music group
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — a division
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. foot — a measure
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. charge — electricity

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