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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: chest · rush · court · staff · branch · chip · charge · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — a division
  7. court — of a king
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — a price
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — employees
  19. court — of law
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chest — a box

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