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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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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: charge · stand · racket · key · fall · kick · branch · stick

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fall — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — the most important part

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