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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: charge · cap · pitcher · lean · branch · scale · saw · staff

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — a division
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — a price

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