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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
468
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: band · pound · perch · charge · bass · branch · arm · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — a position
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — the earth
  13. band — a ring
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. charge — a price
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bass — low music
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — electricity
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. pound — to hit hard

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