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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: cabinet · object · scale · pound · branch · wake · rock · charge

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — to protest
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — music
  12. object — an aim
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. branch — a division
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pound — a weight
  19. charge — a price
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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