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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 116 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: stock · charge · club · bear · branch · bank · patient · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for dancing
  5. branch — a division
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stock — goods
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. club — a group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — for golf
  19. stock — shares
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — of a river

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