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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.

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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: snap · charge · drill · board · squash · branch · degree · perch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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. squash — the sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — army training
  6. degree — an amount
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. degree — from a university
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — to get on
  14. snap — to click
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — to crush
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — the fish
  20. degree — temperature
  21. drill — the tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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