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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: charge · branch · bulb · track · fine · rush · mine · prune

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. charge — a price
  24. rush — to hurry

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