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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: craft · foot · branch · charge · bound · chair · pop · jam

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chair — a leader
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — a price
  12. craft — boats
  13. bound — certain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — soda
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. craft — a skill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pop — music
  24. branch — of a bank

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