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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.

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: game · branch · pop · capital · charge · board · key · squash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. board — a committee
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — soda
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pop — to visit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — a price
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. capital — a city
  22. pop — music
  23. branch — a division
  24. game — a kind of play

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