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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: charge · roll · branch · stock · bear · spring · straw · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — in control
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. roll — a list
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — shares
  23. ball — a great time
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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