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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
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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: ground · branch · present · perch · rash · prune · dip · charge

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. present — a gift
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ground — a position
  19. charge — a price
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. present — there
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. perch — for a bird

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