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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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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: dip · prune · branch · snap · board · capital · can · charge

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — a division
  3. board — a committee
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. charge — in control
  15. board — to get on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — a price
  24. prune — the fruit

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