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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: charge · hand · fan · branch · bass · bowl · stock · wave

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bass — the fish
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — goods
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — help

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