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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: pitcher · branch · bulb · ground · firm · rule · wave · charge

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — in control
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — a division
  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