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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: wax · temple · stem · pitcher · chip · net · branch · charge

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. net — in sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — after costs
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. charge — a price
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitcher — a jug

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