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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 120 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 · wave · current · saw · charge · chair · pitcher · racket

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — in control
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. charge — a price
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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