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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: branch · chair · charge · tube · game · bank · race · pass

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. race — humankind
  12. tube — the underground
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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