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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: tube · branch · chair · board · straw · pit · charge · bear

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. charge — electricity
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — in control

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