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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: jam · snap · bulb · branch · pitch · charge · rule · wound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — a price
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — an injury
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to click
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wound — an injury

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