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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 · key · scale · branch · squash · mark · saw · bowl

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — in music
  5. charge — in control
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. scale — in music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — the most important part
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. squash — the sport

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