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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: race · land · firm · branch · court · trunk · charge · season

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. race — the arms race
  4. court — of a king
  5. season — in sport
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. race — a contest
  9. firm — steady
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — a price
  15. firm — a company
  16. race — humankind
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — in control
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. court — of law
  23. branch — of a tree
  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