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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 116 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: board · trunk · season · branch · saw · firm · bat · charge

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — in control
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. season — of the year
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. board — a committee
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — in sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. firm — decided
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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