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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: branch · fan · prune · bark · bulb · charge · vault · can

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — electricity
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. can — a tin
  24. vault — a safe

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