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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: pound · kid · mark · charge · present · ball · press · branch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — a division
  9. kid — to tease
  10. present — there
  11. charge — in control
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — child
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — a grade
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — a weight
  24. press — to push

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