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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: content · branch · kid · deal · charge · suit · roll · prune

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. content — the amount
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. roll — a cake
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — happy
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — a price
  24. suit — clothes

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