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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: can · sharp · charge · rest · field · branch · mouse · key

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. charge — in control
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rest — a break
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — for sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

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