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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 · present · branch · band · stock · coach · scale · club

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — a group
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — shares
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stock — a soup base

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