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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: spring · present · branch · race · pound · racket · charge · leaves

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. present — the time now
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. branch — a division
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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