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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · mine · object · charge · season · clip · ball · foot

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — a thing
  3. clip — for paper
  4. object — an aim
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. clip — to cut
  14. object — to protest
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. clip — a video
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ball — a dance
  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