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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 · bass · rule · field · pitcher · racket · charge · capital

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. field — farmland
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — in control
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — money
  24. rule — a law

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