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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: present · charge · season · bark · squash · branch · stick · game

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. present — there
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — in sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — the time now
  21. squash — the sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — wild animals

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