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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: mate · deal · march · temple · branch · ball · charge · stock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. march — music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mate — a partner
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — a price
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — in control
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a great time
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — goods
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mate — a friend
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ball — a round shape

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