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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
468
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: charge · can · branch · roll · present · fine · fan · club

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — a cake
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. charge — in control
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — there
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — a division
  22. roll — a list
  23. club — a group
  24. charge — a price

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