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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · chest · branch · mark · nail · cue · bat · club

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — a group
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chest — a box
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cue — for pool
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. club — for golf
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — on a finger

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