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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: fall · tube · row · track · mate · branch · ball · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. branch — a division
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fall — the season
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. track — to keep track
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mate — to breed
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tube — the underground

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