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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · hide · bat · ball · chip · charge · cabinet

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. charge — a price
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — electricity

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