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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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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: board · charge · game · branch · race · pass · trunk · jam

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — to get on
  6. race — humankind
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pass — a permit
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. charge — in control
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. game — a match
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. game — wild animals
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — a division
  24. race — a contest

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