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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: season · mate · saw · branch · charge · march · coach · jam

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mate — a friend
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. march — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — in sport
  23. mate — a partner
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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