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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: drill · bark · current · wound · ball · charge · bulb · branch

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — of water
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — army training
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — a division
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — for light

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