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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 · pop · spell · straw · staff · charge · racket · object

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. object — a thing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — a division
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spell — letters
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. object — to protest
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — soda

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