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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: club · bat · pitcher · branch · charge · bore · cue · bowl

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — a division
  22. cue — a hint
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — of a bank

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