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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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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: kick · branch · coach · toast · racket · charge · degree · tear

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. degree — from a university
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tear — to rip
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — electricity
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. degree — an amount
  10. toast — bread
  11. degree — temperature
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kick — in football
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — in control
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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