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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 120 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: branch · charge · root · firm · shower · fine · current · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — steady
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — electricity
  6. firm — decided
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — in control
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. root — of a word
  13. shower — to wash
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — a price
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — a company
  23. fine — all right
  24. current — electric

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