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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: court · branch · nail · bowl · bay · season · trunk · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — for sport
  20. season — in sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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