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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: pound · charge · mouse · bore · row · branch · file · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — to get on
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — to tire
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. charge — electricity
  16. branch — a division
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. file — a document
  21. row — a line
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — the animal

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